The world is nothing but swirling blue and a raging wind. And then it's not. Emma feels the cobblestones beneath her first, the wet cold seeping through her clothes. Then she smells the salty tang of the ocean followed quickly by the shouts of sailors and the calls of fishmongers. With a groan she opens her eyes and discovers herself in a side alley in what she assumes is a town. It dawns on her that she has, once again, taken a portal to a strange land.

"Really?" she mutters as she sits up. She wonders where she is but her instinct tells her it's the Enchanted Forest. Something about the light and the weight of the air and the way her magic thrums stronger and brighter than in Storybrooke. Emma closes her eyes and thinks of her home, of her family, of Kililan, and Elsa and the Snow Queen's jeering face.

She had only wanted to smash the mirror. To stop the Ice Bitch from enacting the spell of shattered sight. Her gun had done nothing and so, with Elsa and Killian keeping the Dairy Queen distracted, Emma had run at the mirror, intending to shatter it with her hands, but instead the mirror had trapped her. The surface not solid at all but some strange, thick, liquid-like substance. It had wrapped around her hands and pulled her in even as she struggled to resist. She heard Killian's voice shout "Emma!" and then there was nothing but cold and swirling blue.

Emma tries not to dwell on the how or why of her situation and instead focuses on how to fix it. She stands, brushing her hands on her jeans, and walks to the edge of the alley to peer down the street.

There is a fair amount of people hurrying about their day. Their clothing consistent with her experience in the Enchanted Forest. It definitely wasn't Kansas. No one seems to notice her and she catches snatches of conversation as people rush past.

"Must get this home to the missus…."

"I told him I would pay half that…."

"They say that with the Ogre War over the people turned on the Duke…"

"Hurry up or the Captain will be angry…"

Emma steps back into the alleyway and considers her clothing. She is wearing her usual leather jacket with tank top and jeans. There is no way she won't stand out walking around. Her mind conjures images of Killian lecturing her on Enchanted Forest fashion. A soft smile steals across her face even as she feels a pang of loneliness. She wishes he was here, to share in this adventure, to encourage her and make her smile. Emma allows her self pity to overwhelm her for a few minutes. Then she shoves the feelings aside, takes a deep breath, and steps on to the street.

Emma wanders for over an hour, her feet eventually leading her down to the docks. She has received a few strange looks but not as many as she expected. But then her wandering had given Emma the impression this wasn't the most wholesome of towns. Rough looking men, and scantily clad women were in abundance and none seemed to understand the concept of PDA. There seemed to be more taverns than houses and as she got closer to the water she was positive that every ship in port was a pirate ship. She wondered if she had wandered into the Enchanted Forest version of Tortuga.

She walked along the pier at a bit of a loss on how to proceed. She knew that to return to Storybrooke she would need to find another portal. Unfortunately she hadn't spotted any stores advertising magical top hats or an old woman selling portal beans. Neal had told her that Gold's castle was still full of magical objects and she wondered how she might get there. The passage of time was beginning to grate on her, every minute away another minute for the Snow Queen to hurt the people she loved. She needed to get home; fast. She stared out at the water, wishing a certain pirate would come sailing into port with a magic bean. Like he had that fateful day in Storybrooke.

The sun is setting and the bustle at the harbor is dying down. The sailors leaving their ships for the warmth of the taverns. Emma hears a shout from a nearby ship.

"Bo'sun!" It's only one word but Emma knows that voice. Her head snaps in it's direction.

"Killian." she whispers.

Her eyes fall upon the unmistakable shape of "The Jolly Roger" it's yellow and black paint fresh and gleaming in the sun. And there standing on her gangplank was her Captain. Dressed once again in his pirate clothes; all black with a red vest. His long leather coat swooping as he turns back toward the deck.

Emma's heart stutters and she begins to rush along the pier. His name forming into a shout on her lips. But before she can speak she hears another voice calling.

"Killian!"

Emma looks and sees a tall woman, with riotous, raven hair and a long colorful jacket of her own, striding across the deck. She is smiling a crooked smile that Emma knows all too well, has seen it on her son's face.

Emma stops dead in her tracks. The woman reaches out to hand Killian a small pouch. And with a jolt Emma realizes it is his left hand, no hook in sight. He gives the woman a devastating grin and pulls her into his arms. His lips capturing hers in a long, fiery kiss that has more than a few of his crew whistling and hollering in appreciation. And if Emma wasn't sure before, she is positive now, that the woman in her pirate's arms is Milah.

.-.

._.

.~.

Author's Note: I blame paradisdesbilles (now ofswansandsnowflakes) over on Tumblr for this. She was talking about Milah and Emma and I couldn't get it out of my head. This will be a short multi-chapter so follow if you want to see what happens next.